Kata M2 LTE (Kata M2L) Review

We have been waiting for an LTE smartphone from Kata Philippines for a long time now. And finally, here it is, the Kata M2 LTE or also known as Kata M2L. The moment we got our unit, we immediately took it out of the box and used it as our daily driver. Now it is time to share our thoughts.

Kata M2 LTE (or Kata M2L)

1.3GHz quad core Mediatek MT6735P processor

Mali T720 graphics

1GB RAM

16GB internal memory

5.5-inch Super HD display (1280 x 720 pixels)

13 megapixel rear facing camera with autofocus and LED flash

5 megapixel front facing camera

Dual SIM, Dual Standby

4G/LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth

GPS, A-GPS

3,000 mAh battery

Android 5.1 Lollipop

SRP: P7,599

Status: Available at Kata stores and kiosks

HARDWARE AND DESIGN

Kata has stepped up its build quality for the Kata M2L. Just like the Kata i4 we reviewed earlier this year, the chassis is made with aluminum making it very solid when holding it. That metal sides is also curved so holding it for long periods of time won’t be a pain. The back is removable revealing the dual SIM slots, removable 3,000 mAh battery and microSD card slot.

Audio quality coming out from the bottom firing speakers are quite weak so we recommend you use any of your third party earphones. So far, audio quality using our earphones are far better than the external speakers. Finally, we simply love the white variant of the Kata M2L, it is just so elegant-looking.

DISPLAY

A 720p display might not be impressive but Kata has been known for its gorgeous screens. Colors are accurate and it is generally bright and vivid even under direct sunlight. Viewng angles are also good. We had no problems with the display and adaptive brightness works just fine.

SOFTWARE AND PERFORMANCE

This is the company’s first smartphone to run Android 5.1 Lollipop a more polished and less lag version than the older Android 5.0 Lollipop. We did notice some lags and it takes about 2 to 3 seconds waiting time when opening an app. Kata is aware of the problem and a software update to fix this issue will soon come.

Kata made some tweaks with the stock Android UI by eliminating the app drawer so all your apps are in the home screen. In our opinion, we do not hate lack of app drawer but we prefer having one. If you do not like the stock UI, we suggest you download Google Now Launcher or Nova Launcher.

The Kata M2L has only 1GB of RAM which means playing graphic intense games might not be as smooth. If you play Clash of Clans or Candy Crush Saga, these games will run just fine.

CAMERA

A Sony sensor is used in the phone’s 13 megapixel rear facing camera. Photos taken were very good especially in good lighting conditions. Low light shots are generally ok but they are bit grainy. It tends to overexpose pictures when using the dual LED flash.

CONNECTIVITY

We used both Globe and Smart SIM card for LTE connectivity and internet speeds are within normal reach. The only issue we had is LTE tends to be inconsistent. A promised software update will also fix this issue.

BATTERY

The 3,000 mAh battery is sufficient enough to give the Kata M2L a decent amount of power throughout the day. On our heavy use, we managed to get around 10 hours and 15 minutes and that comes with an hour of You Tube, an hour of IWant TV, games, social media with 4G/LTE and WiFi on.

VERDICT

We are truly impressed with the Kata M2L especially its camera, overall build quality, and gorgeous display. Worry not about the bugs since Kata promised the needed updates. This Chirstmas season, you won’t get wrong buying a Kata M2L for yourself or loved one. 🙂